April 2015 Newsletter

Transcription

1 April 2015 Newsletter OFFICERS: President: Wayne Bane Vice President: Peter Sarkis Secretary: Mary Beth Meyer Treasurer: Jerry Longstreth RECENT EVENTS: The Pittsburgh Aviary and the Bicycle Heaven Museum and Shop Saturday, March 21, 2015 On a sunny, but chilly March morning twenty four members of the Pitt Birds met at the National Aviary in West Park on Pittsburgh s historic North Side. The National Aviary s diverse collection comprises more than 500 birds representing more than 150 species from around the world. We toured the various exhibits including Eagle Hall, Penguin Point, Grass Lands, and the Wetlands. In the tropical rainforest, Aviary trainers demonstrated the habits and behaviors of the birds during feeding. One of our members even won an unexpected prize. Our next stop was lunch at Max s Allegheny Tavern. The tavern and hotel are over 100 years old and is known for its fine German food and beer. We had a private dining room where we also celebrated Mary Beth Meyer s birthday. Our final stop was the Bicycle Museum and Shop. This was the surprise of the day. The museum displayed over 3,000 bicycles, from antique wooden 1862 Boneshakers to sleek, space-age fiberglass-encased Bowden Spacelanders. You may have spotted the bike you rode as a child. This exhibit definitely brought back a lot of fond memories.

2 National Aviary in the Tropical Rainforest There was even a bike with the model name Thunderbird When good bikes die, the lucky ones go to Bicycle Heaven 2

3 UPCOMING EVENTS: Hartwood Acres and La Casa Narcisi Winery Sunday, April 26, 2015 Plan to meet at Dunkin Donuts, at the intersection of Route 8 and Saxonburg Blvd. in Etna, PA at 10:00 AM. GPS: 911 Butler Street, Etna, PA Direction: From Pittsburgh, proceed north on Route 28 for 5 miles to the left exit 5B (Route 8 toward Butler). Proceed 1.5 miles on Route 8 to the Dunkin Donuts on the left. If you are going directly to the Hartwood Mansion, enter the park from Saxonburg Blvd. We will travel to Hartwood Acres and tour the mansion. This stately Tudor mansion was erected in It has 22 rooms around a great hall. The mansion was designed by Alfred Hopkins for John and Mary Flinn Lawrence and houses a collection of original English and American antiques. After the tour we will travel to the La Casa Narcisi Winery for some wine tasting and lunch. If you have any questions, please contact Carol Vivaldi at , or Jerry Longstreth at Garage Tour to Ed Brown s Collection Saturday, May 16, 2015 Plan to meet at the 50 s theme Crouse s Family Diner in Lower Burrell at 11:00 AM. GPS: 2709 Leechburg Rd, Lower Burrell, PA 15068, Phone: We will have lunch at the diner then travel a short distance to Ed Brown s Garage where we will see a variety of 50 s original and custom cars. If you have questions, please contact Wayne Bane at Calendar of Events: Hartwood Acres and La Casa Narcisi Winery Hosted by Carol Vivaldi April 26th Garage Tour to See Ed Brown s Collection May 16th Hosted by Wayne and Dolly Bane Ford Carlisle June 5-7 th Details on page 5 of this newsletter. North Hill Antique Auto Club Show, Mars, PA Hosted by Warren Smith June 7 th 60 th Anniversary of the Thunderbird Celebration, Dearborn, MI June th Details on page 5 of this newsletter. Pitt Birds Picnic at the PVGP July th Celebrate 60 Years of Thunderbird Excitement Details on page 4 of this newsletter Buffalo Thunderbird Show, Buffalo, NY August 9th Hosted by the Buffalo Classic Thunderbird Club Auto and Air Museum, Canton, OH August Hosted by Rich and Ann Augustine Tygart Lake Dam, Grafton, WV September Hosted by Pete and Karen Sarkis October is open and we are asking for suggestions. Memorial Day Parade Sunday, May 31, 2015 If you are interested in participating in a Memorial Day parade with your Thunderbird, please contact Wayne Bane at The parade will take place in Lower Burrell and is sponsored by the Lower Burrell American Legion Post

4 UPCOMING EVENTS: Thunderbird will be the Spotlight Car at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix July 16-19, 2015 Plan to attend the grand celebration of the 60 th anniversary of the Thunderbird. The PVGP has honored the Thunderbird as the Spotlight Car. Several special activities are planned for this event. We are extending invitations to other Thunderbird owners, enthusiast, clubs, and out of town guests. Please join us as we celebrate 60 years of Thunderbird Excitement! Activities Include: Our host hotel for out of town guests is the Comfort Inn in RIDC, Harmarville PA. Sunday, July 5 th PVGP Rallye. Register at Saturday and Sunday, July th Historic Races at Pitt Race, visit: Tuesday, July 14 th Car Cruise at the Homestead Waterfront, visit: Wednesday, July 15 th Downtown Parade and Car Display. The cost is $10.00 per car. Register at: Thursday Evening, July 16th Welcome Dinner at Max and Erma s. Contact Jerry Longstreth if you plan to attend. Friday, July 17th - A Countryside Tour to the Flight 93 Memorial and lunch at the Jean Bonnet Tavern The price of the tour is $20.00 per person and includes lunch. Contact Jerry Longstreth to register. Friday Evening, July 17th - Dinner event at a local restaurant The cost of the dinner is $30.00 per person. Contact Jerry Longstreth to register. Saturday, July 18th - Participate in a special PVGP Spotlight Thunderbird Display on the Schenley Park golf course. The Thunderbird display will be the centerpiece of the 2,000 car international car show. View the qualifying races, and tour the pit and paddock area. Register at or contact Jerry Longstreth for a registration form. Sunday, July 19th You can register to take your Thunderbird onto the race track for a parade lap during the opening ceremonies from 11:00 AM till noon. This is one of the unique and special parts of being the Spotlight Car. Nearly 100,000 spectators will cheer you on as you take a full lap of the 2.3 mile circuit. Afterward you return to the Spotlight Car fairway to enjoy the afternoon car shows and races. Register at or contact Jerry Longstreth for a registration form. A picnic lunch, hosted by the Pitt Birds Thunderbird Club will be provided on Saturday and Sunday. Proceeds benefit the Autism Society of Pittsburgh and the Allegheny Valley School. If you have any questions, contact Jerry Longstreth at

5 UPCOMING EVENTS: Celebrate the 60 th Anniversary of the Thunderbird At Ford Carlisle June Carlisle, PA - Carlisle, All Ford Nationals - Join fellow ITC members at the ITC Hospitality Tent at the Carlisle Fairgrounds. Pre-register by May 4 th at $55.00 Per Thunderbird for one day or the weekend. This Gate-N-Go pass will be your Green Light to the show field. Online Registering is available and Phone Orders will also be accepted at Please list International Thunderbird Club when registering. Contact Jerry Longstreth at if you are interested in attending. AUGUST 18th THRU 23rd Visit the Convention Web Site for Additional Details and the Registration Form: 60 th Anniversary of the Thunderbird Celebration Dearborn Michigan June 25-28, 2015 The Water Wonderland Thunderbird Club will host this event. Interesting activities are planned including a tour of the Meurer Automobilia Collection, a Strolling Dinner featuring Michigan food products, a tour of the Piquette plant & Edsel & Eleanor Ford Estate, a Dinner Dance at the Hotel and an all Thunderbird show at the Ford Headquarters. Contact Jerry Longstreth for a registration form at A tour of Greenfield Village will be available on Sunday morning. For hotel reservations at the Doubletree Hilton in Dearborn, go to: then click on the DoubleTree by Hilton logo, or call Mimi Sion at the Doubletree Hotel at and mention this event. 5 Go to: Go to: m

6 MEMBERSHIP: Current Membership: 69 Member Families Welcome New Members: Jeff and Annette Clinton Brian Darcangelo Clair and Dorothy Ewing Kenneth and June Tarpley FOR SALE: 1957 Thunderbird: Contact: Jeff Spirer or $38,000 Interested in Joining an International Thunderbird Club? The Pitt Birds Thunderbird Club is a chapter club with the Classic Thunderbird Club International (CTCI) and the International Thunderbird Club (ITC). Both CTCI and ITC have regional and international events, provide excellent technical advice, bi-monthly magazines, vendor sourcing, and articles about other local clubs. Membership information to CTCI or ITC can be found by visiting the following web sites. Classic Thunderbird Club International: Then click on Become a Member on the Home page. International Thunderbird Club: Then click on the Membership button on the Home page. Black with Black and White Interior, Excellent Condition, 63,000 miles, 312 V8, Automatic, Air conditioning, P/S, P/W, Wire Wheels. Golf Shirts: If you would like to purchase a Turquoise / Thunderbird blue golf shirt with the Pitt Birds logo, contact Wayne and Dolly Bane at: The price is $30.00 ($32.00 for XXL). Tee Shirts: With the Pitt Birds club logo are for sale for $15.00 each. Shipping and handling to your address is an additional $3.00. Limited supply remaining, sizes available; 1 large and 5 medium. Contact Ann Augustine at: TREASURY: Balance as of April 1, 2015: $3, Specializing in Thunderbirds, Mustangs, and all makes of Muscle Cars. Hill s Thunderbird Center / Marvin T. Hill Bashan Road, Racine, Ohio Phone: Info. Or Technical (740) Phone Orders No Technical: (800) tbird1957@frontier.com

7 How I Won a 1955 Thunderbird Junior Photos from October 1955 Earlier in 1955 my parents and I attended a food fair at the Hunt Armory in Pittsburgh, Pa. Jack's Cheese Twists had a display with a huge bag of Cheese Twists and a Thunderbird Junior on an elevated platform at their booth. The closest guess of the total number of cheese twists in the bag would win the Thunderbird Junior. My parents estimated the number of individual bags in the huge display bag, bought a regular size and then counted the number of cheese twists and multiplied it by their estimate. They submitted my name with their guess and the winning name was to be announced on radio (believe it was KDKA). I WON! The excitement from the wait was almost unbearable! My dad rented a U-Haul, hooked it to the rear of the family '41 Ford and brought the Thunderbird Junior home from Jack's warehouse in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. Once it was home I suddenly became very popular with kids my age in the neighborhood. Word spread to my Kindergarten class at Birdville Elementary School in Natrona Heights, Pa. and my teacher, Mrs. Delp thought it would be nice if the car could somehow be brought to the school to give each classmate a ride in the auditorium. 7 And so my dad borrowed a co-worker's '49 Olds station wagon, wedged the T-Bird in the back and brought it to the school. Like a bigshot I took everyone for a ride, one lap around the auditorium demonstrating the lights and horn. The local Valley Daily News was on hand with a photographer and covered it with a short story in the paper. The somewhat bent black and white photo was taken by the newspaper photographer and the picture taken on the playground was converted from a color slide. The car originally had a huge Jack's Cheese Twists color decal on the rear decklid, but I believe my dad removed it soon after. Once I grew out of it, the car sat for years until someone approached us about buying it for their young son. I wanted money anyway at the time to purchase ham radio equipment, so it went away in about A lot of great memories and I often wonder what became of it.